Last week, right-wingers rioted and forced their way into the Capitol Building, vandalizing and desecrating that symbol of American democracy. Many of those rioters were white supremacists. Their clothing and flags tell us that.
They will probably tell us that they are American patriots, and were trying to save the country. That is a lie! They were attacking democracy, not saving it.
Let me go further. For the white supremacists in that riot (and there were many), it would not matter whether they invaded the Capitol or not. They are NOT American patriots.
American patriots believe in and support the Constitution of the United States -- all of it. And the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees equality for all citizens under the law (both federal and state).
The white supremacists believe in the supremacy of whites over all other people. They think whites should rule the government, regardless of what voters want -- or what the Constitution demands. That means they do not support the Constitution, and therefore are NOT patriots.
Some of them may try to tell you they believe in equality, but want a separate equality. That's impossible. The Supreme Court ruled nearly seven decades ago (Brown v. Board, 1954) that "Separate is inherently unequal". There is no such thing as separate and equal. The very act of separation creates inequality.
In our free speech democracy, the white supremacists have the right to their sick beliefs. They do not, however, have the right to be called patriots -- because they are NOT!
